The Bad Seed
by Atilio Montenegro
Summary: Fire Lady Mai suspects the girl's evil behavior is inherited. Her suspicions are confirmed on a late night visit to the prisoner's cell. It's just not at all what she'd imagined. Warning: Rated M for Rape/Mature Themes/and Maiko


Disclaimer: Don't own. Recreational purposes only. Respect the Vatar'd. Not profiting.

Warning: **Rape**. -Please do not proceed if fictions of this kind bother you. I caution you that this story is **rated M** for a reason. Thanks. Now, let's proceed with the fun.

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**The Bad Seed**

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The prison tower loomed out ominously that night, casting shadows stretching out like fingertips, gripping at its surroundings. The dim lanterns and sturdy guards that wandered the halls were not enough to hold out the darkness and frigid chill hovering over the air.

Fire Lady Mai's face contorted into one of momentary hatred at the thought of the prisoner chained within. She couldn't think of a more fitting punishment, and yet-- it wasn't enough.

The dark curtain to the palanquin in which she reclined was brushed open, and Mai was relieved to see her husband return.

"Well, that took long enough, Zuko." She let a trace of resentment sliver into her voice.

"Mai, please don't start." He held a hand raised upwards to impede the palanquin bearers from setting in motion. He leaned forward and grasped her arm.

Mai surveyed him coolly. She knew where this was headed. "I'm not going up there."

Zuko didn't speak right away, he shifted in his seat, his grip on her tightened. "If you just gave it a chance."

"No." She stated dispassionately. "What good would that do anyone, Zuko?" Mai wanted to pull her arm loose. She didn't.

"Well," his discomfort was palpable but his words rang with a clear conviction, "It may not help Azula, but I know it would do you good."

Unbelievable. "Zuko, you know what she did to me. To you!" The shadows of the servants outside in the dark shuffled in embarrassment. They'd probably never heard their Fire Lady raise her voice before.

Zuko shook his head, his top knot staying meticulously in place, royal crown reflecting against the shimmering fabric hanging 'round them. His eyes softened however. Zuko enjoyed her outbursts, and he often said so. "She wasn't right in her mind. She never was, and probably never will be."

Mai shot him a dark look. How dare he write off her actions! She refused to believe that the Fire Nation Princess had any mental qualms when she'd ordered her closest friends locked away at The Boiling Rock. When she'd attacked Zuko, aiming to kill. He and anyone who doubted this was sadly mistaken.

"Is that you, or your mother talking, Zuko?" Her husband stiffened, his brow lowered perceptibly.

"I trust her judgement in this." Zuko turned away, his gaze flicking up toward the prison tower, where his mother had yet to exit for the evening.

The Fire Lady shook her head in annoyance. Mai liked Ursa. She did, but the woman had an irresponsible soft spot when it came to her daughter. But then, any mother would hope for reconciliation between her children. It seemed that Zuko wished this as well. He wasn't doing this to be cruel to his wife. They just seemed to always get into this argument, and Mai would constantly be the one to end it, one way or another. Mai softened her voice, lessoning the distance in her timbre.

"How was your visit, Zuko?"

The corner of a golden eye searched her wearily, he seemed relieved by her change of tone. Mai braved a encouraging smile. Only Zuko could get her to smile willingly, not simply in polite pretense.

"Good. Actually." Zuko mechanically rubbed a free hand against the prominent scar littering the left side of his face, Mai was sure he hadn't noticed his action. "She did seem to... recognize me this time."

"Wow." Mai remarked evenly. That certainly was a change.

Zuko relayed his experience calmly, though Mai could detect enthusiasm on his part. The way he was smiling so openly in return.

"...and she didn't even struggle when the guards shackled her into sleep position."

Mai maintained her mask of serenity. Inwardly, the Fire Lady had difficulty believing that the prisoner's demeanor could have deviated so suddenly, it had only been a short amount of time since their last visit to the prison. Lady Ursa had traveled to the Earth Kingdom to call on Zuko's uncle, and Zuko never visited his sister alone, so he'd waited until her return this afternoon to set out. For some reason, Zuko could always talk Mai into coming with them, even when she knew she'd regret it. Mai hadn't really wanted to analyze this. But her sour mood ensured that there were always two palanquins' present. One, for her own uses should she decide to leave. She never had. Now it was a known custom, in case Lady Ursa should wish to stay late, which was a frequent occurrence.

"The physicians said her mental acuity has definitely picked up, soon she may even be eligible for therapy sessions." He concluded happily.

Then what, Zuko? Would she be set _free_? "Did she...you know, say anything to you?" Mai knew very well that the Princess had been rendered completely unintelligible due to her madness, only vocalizing muddled ramblings. Not necessarily directed at those within earshot. Her husband had always been troubled by this, more than any other characteristic of his sister's madness.

Zuko's features took a subdued cast. He turned his face away again. "Nothing I could make sense of." He spoke slowly, his words restrained. "Incoherent gibberish, is what the physician said. But I could make out a few words. She said 'please' a few times. She looked scared..."

Mai took her husband's hand in her own. She tried to imagine Azula staring up at her brother, wide-eyed, a pleading look plastered across her face, babbling, pulling against her chains. She really couldn't.

"I think," Zuko sighed heavily, looking up at the prison tower, "I think she thought I was my father."

Damn. Zuko hung his head, utterly dejected. He looked to his wife, uncertain. He hated being compared to his father, now more so, due to Ozai's recent execution. Spirits, why did he have to look so pitiful? Mai sighed. Only Zuko could talk her into these things.

"I can't promise anything, Zuko."

Her husband's brow furrowed, then his face lit up in understanding. Collecting Mai's hands in his, Zuko held both to his lips.

"I'm not asking you to."

-0-0-0-0-

The passage was dark and still as an abandoned crematorium, only the high lanterns, huddled in their cramped niches provided any kind of illumination. Zuko had offered to accompany her, but Mai had declined the invitation. She was unsure what would happen, the Princess had always been rather unpredictable, and never in a good way. Mai couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she wanted a moment alone with the Princess. Mai hoped Ursa would understand, and undoubtedly she would. Ever since Zuko had located his mother and brought her home, they'd bonded wonderfully. She treated Mai as kindly as she would her own daughter, and Mai had warmed to Ursa instantly.

The Fire Lady's solitary escort pointed down a lonely looking hallway over to her far right, and bowed his retreat. Mai didn't stir right away. Now that she was so close, she felt a pang of regret. And an even greater feeling of pent anger. She'd been avoiding this visit for almost a year now. She never wanted to see her former 'friend' again. "Let her rot," she'd said. What else could they expect of her? To forgive the Princess, just because it looks like she lost her damn mind? What of that? Azula wouldn't have been so dismissive of an enemy's actions. According to Zuko, of course, she'd always been 'messed up'. If that's an excuse than my ass is an tsungi horn. Did Azula deserve to have all these people on her side? Zuko had even exempted Azula from the grand tribunals war criminal trials. 'Until she's well enough to speak for herself', he'd said. The Fire Lady had to admire her husband's good form, and virtue.

Mai scowled into the darkness. Perhaps some of her husband was indeed brushing off on her. She was here, wasn't she? About to confront the Princess for the first time in months? Would it be so terrible to forgive her? Zuko believed it could even do herself more good than anything. If Azula really was striving mentally-- what am I saying? The bitch deserves it. Everything. All of it. The madness. The cell. The chains--

A rumble of said iron shook Mai from her thoughts. The echo carried down the passage, drumming her senses away into numb nothingness. Hardly aware of herself, Mai started forward quietly, in search of the clamberer. There was a low light tumbling into the mostly darkness from an open cell. Mai wondered at the lack of guards; perhaps an allowance Zuko had made.

The chains trembled again, and Mai's quiet steps were a mere nothing compared to the slamming restraints.

She paused outside the door, unable to bring herself to look in. Mai was aware of soft whimpering. It didn't sound like any noise she'd ever heard. The cry, it wasn't just sad-- it was damn near heartbreaking. Again, she regretted her decision to come. She just wasn't ready to forgive, and that's what her husband hoped from her. And it just wouldn't do to turn away, now that she had come so far. She wouldn't allow that of herself. Mai steeled her courage.

"...please...please..."

About to make her presence known, her steps were broken by the low voice. Mai froze, and stiffened, listening intently, finding she had no choice to do anything but. With great difficulty, Mai concluded that the voice was Azula's. But it didn't sound right at all. It sounded like a child's plea, spoken from a child's mouth. It trembled in its unsureity and ached with fear. It made Mai's blood run cold.

"No, no dear. I would never hurt you." Her mother-in-law's voice. Ursa spoke as if placating a small girl's tears.

With no guards within earshot, Mai couldn't help but worry that if Azula did break free, she could hurt her mother in some way. Again she questioned Ursa's good sense.

"Please...no...please, Mother." The voice was cracked, shaky, yet somehow it was sharpening with every word, as if a glint of sanity was drilling through into the dark cell. She could recognize her mother? Perhaps she'd known it was Zuko that had visited her after all. How could this pleading voice belong to the shrewd Fire Nation Princess? Mai had never heard Azula plea in her life. But here it was, first to Zuko, now her mother. Mai wondered what she was begging for.

"Shh, darling, shh."

The whimpering grew more pronounced. "No. No. No!" Louder. Louder.

The cries were muffled into pained grunts of terror, as if a hand had been cupped over the girl's mouth. Mai raised trembling fingers to her own. _Spirits above_.

The chains rumbled threateningly, they seemed to intensify, even as the girl's words were stifled. Mai could not stir from her spot to enter the cell if she'd been forced to. At least, not until the girl's mother had comforted her into submission.

A pounding thud joined the terrifying jumble of sounds. Was Azula hurting herself?

"Mmmm," A long moan echoed in Mai's ears, her pulse quickened, "yes, sweetheart."

Well that was incredibly out of place. Ursa had sounded...contented.

Mai's curiosity got the better of her, cautiously extracting a wide blade from the clasp of a gown sleeve, she held it out before her. Steadying the blunt reflective edge until the scene was brought clear enough into view.

The distraught prisoner was fastened securely to the stone floor. Her body raking madly against the chains, slamming up and down with a painful sounding thud. The girl's hands chained straight out to her sides at the shoulders, which were being pinned down by her mother.

In fact, from what Mai could see, Ursa's body was completely weighing down Azula's. Adjusting her blade, realization smacked the Fire Lady dead in the face. That it was Ursa's own mouth stifling the girl's cries.

But that shouldn't be, it couldn't be what Mai's head was screaming it was. Her mother-in-law was simply trying to comfort the girl. Of course, she was.

But even as Mai tried to convince herself of the mother's good intentions, she watched in rapt confusion as Ursa seemed to deepen the rough 'kiss', her neck arching downward, capturing every reaction and toss of her daughter's head.

Hands swept down the restrained arms, running their full length, before slowly retracing the _caress_, to the girl's shoulders, moving down the heaving chest, Ursa caught the rocking hips in her hands, and assisted in their jerky thrusting, bucking down with her own.

This cannot be happening.

Azula pulled her head away, twisting backwards in apparent escape of the lips. Her eyes were wide, and slightly glossed over, the low lighting didn't seem to reflect in those amber pools. She was in absolute terror, that much was certain.

"Azula." Ursa pulled back, she caressed the clenched jaw, pulling the face back to meet hers, smoothing away loose strands of raven hair.

"Please Mother..."

"Shh. You know I love you, Azula. I do." The girl grew still so suddenly, Mai could only recall the way she'd fallen to Ty Lee's skillful pressure point jabs.

Uncertainty swelled into Azula's eyes as she hazily studied the face, Mai felt sure she'd even seen a glimmer of something hopeful in her blade's clear reflection.

"Never doubt that." Azula didn't seem aware of the wandering hand until it disappeared beneath the waistband of her clean scarlet shift.

The girl squirmed. Out in the shadows, Mai felt she'd be sick, the scene trembling on her finger tips. She fought to brace her usually steady hand, all the more unnerved.

The pleas struck up again. Urgent. Ursa muttered words of reassurance in her ear. They had to have been words of comfort. Mai wasn't sure.

Rising up out of the strangled cries, Azula called out for her father.

There was complete silence in the cell. Mai withheld her breath. Even the insane princess seemed to realize her mistake. The lanterns low flames quivered slightly on the dark walls about them.

"Hush, child." Ursa's voice took a harsh note. "We don't need to bring your father into this."

Azula started trembling, or it could have only been Mai's blade.

Ursa didn't soften her tone. "I always wondered, if there was something of myself inside of you..."

With a sharp grunt of pain, Azula was thrust up from the floor. "Mother..."

Another hiss of pain escaped the girls lips, as she was rammed against the stone. "Please..."

A growl of frustration. Azula threw her head back, and her neck was assaulted mercilessly, her torso heaved up against vigorously.

"Mother..." Softer this time. Defeated. Almost a sob.

"...bitch." By now the princess's body was jerking horribly, Mai knew the girl was powerless to stop it. There was no escape, her restraints held her. Mai shut her eyes to the scene.

The Fire Lady had never witnessed anything so horrifying. Is this what Ursa did every time she visited her mentally impaired daughter?! No wonder she'd shown signs of improvement at her mother's departure to Ba Sing Se. Gods, Mai hadn't been prepared for this in the first place and now... Azula didn't deserve this abuse.

Did she?

Mai flattened herself against the wall, sheathing her blade.

Azula had left Ty Lee and herself imprisoned at The Boiling Rock. Her plan had been indefinitely. Would the girl have stepped in if news of any mistreatment happened to meet her ears?

No. The answer was a simple one. Why should she show mercy now? Perhaps, this is what Azula deserves for her years of cruelty. She was still in there. In this sobbing shell of her former self. Mai knew it.

The chains crashed against the floor, the cries for lenience never dissipated.

Didn't she deserve it?

Mai shook the question from her mind. Who was she to question this? She couldn't even count herself as the girl's friend anymore. Ursa was Azula's mother.

Mai cringed involuntarily.

She was Ursa's responsibility and it was none of Mai's concern. "Please..."

'I need to get out of here.' Mai forced herself into indifference at her former friend's echo.

Her sister-in-law.

Mai quickly put as much distance between herself and the cell as possible. It seemed her time with the cold-blooded princess had rubbed off on her as well.

-0-0-0-0-

The cool night air and her husband awaiting her was a most welcome sight. She clung to Zuko as their palanquin, steadily made its way back to the royal palace. She shivered from a dismantling chill that filled her body-- on account of the night's damp wind.

Zuko pulled her close. "How did things go?"

"I couldn't go through with it." Leaning her head deeper into the crook of his neck, Mai stroked his strong chest, idly wondering if Ursa had ever held him like this.

No, surely not. "I guess I hog-chickened out."

Zuko gave a low sigh that reverberated against her forehead. "That's alright. I understand how you must feel."

_No Zuko. You're completely in the dark._ Mai hoped he never understood.

"Don't... don't mention this to your mother."

Zuko nodded, nuzzling his chin into her hair.

"Still, thank you for trying Mai. I'm sure Azula would have appreciated it as much as I do."

Mai buried her head into her husband's chest.

-0-0-0-0-

The following day, a message arrived in the royal garden where Fire Lord Zuko and his wife were enjoying a late breakfast.

Noting his garb, Mai realized the messenger was from the Capital City Prison. Her stomach lurched for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.

She watched Zuko's floundering expression as the messenger relayed the distressing news of his sister's definite drop in mental stability. The warm sunlight flowing down through the canopy suddenly felt unbaringly oppressive.

"Why? What happened?"

"My Lord, we had to bolt the prisoner upright against the wall, she was sobbing, and forcefully ramming her face into the floor."

There was an agitated glint in the man's eye, Mai realized he must have witnessed the entire episode. Though he probably had no part in securing her, as he didn't seem to have been injured.

"When I left, no physician had yet been able to get close enough to treat her extensive wounds, my Lord."

Zuko buried his head in his hands, he breathed a drowning sigh. "Dad really screwed up my little sister."

Mai set her half empty tea cup aside before it could work its way out of her trembling hands.

Zuko met her gaze. "Do you think it had something to do with my visit? She did think I was Ozai. Maybe it's my fault."

"No, Zuko." Mai started firmly, reaching a hand to him. "This has nothing to do with you."

He didn't take her hand in his. Mai knew he wasn't convinced. But she wasn't about to let her husband suffer further harm for his parents sins. She had just opened her mouth to speak when Zuko turned his attention back to the silent messenger.

"What was she saying? Did she mention anything about the late Fire Lord?"

The messenger shifted uncomfortably. "She didn't say much, my Lord. I could only catch one word. She kept repeating it...as she injured herself."

Mai cringed in recognition of the word. She'd heard the Fire Nation Princess use it only once, on Ember Island months ago. Azula had been speaking of her mother at the time.

"Monster, monster, monster..."

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A/N:

Pff.


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